Northwest Deer Relocation Mission Considered Successful, Despite 20 Percent Deaths

A mission to relocate endangered Columbian White-tail deer in the Pacific Northwest is being hailed a success, even though more deer died in the relocation process than planned.

Biologists and volunteers trapped the deer on the border of western Washington and Oregon and moved them to other locations to protect the endangered white-tail in the event of flooding in the area. Deer were moved from one island location to another in an attempt to stabilize populations.

Of the 49 deer trapped for relocation, 10 died. Project planners expected about 20 percent mortality, but they also expected to capture and relocate more deer than they did.

Jackie Ferrier, who manages the Julia Butler-Hansen Refuge near Cathlamet, Wash., said that as the project went on it became quite difficult to lure the deer into the traps in place for them because the deer had grown leery of humans.

“The deer were just plain not coming into the nets anymore, Ferrier said. "We just were not having any success,” .

Some of the captured deer were sedated, blindfolded and carried dangling from a helicopter to their new location.

Among the 37 deer taken to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, seven died. One doe died during transportation there, and coyotes killed two other does, The Daily News reported.

The other 12 deer were bound for Cottonwood Island. One buck reportedly died in transit and two others were struck by cars after swimming from the island to the mainland.

Despite the casualties, Ferrier said the risk was worthwhile because the deer are “in a safer place now.”

"I think overall the [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service] is extremely pleased with the translocation," Ferrier said.  

There are an estimated 600 Columbian White-tail deer in the region. In previous years, flooding has killed significant numbers of the population, making the loss of deer related to the relocation seem manageable, The Daily News reports.